Investments
Alibaba leads Series D for China education start-up
Alibaba Group has led a $150 million Series D round of funding for Knowbox, a Chinese education start-up that develops a range of mobile apps aimed at students and teachers.
EBay buys 5.5% stake in India's Paytm Mall
EBay has acquired a 5.5% stake in Paytm Mall, the e-commerce arm of Indian online payments platform Paytm.
European investors back India's MyMoneyMantra
Switzerland-based private equity firm Vaalon Capital and Netherlands investor IFSD BV have provided a combined $15 million to Indian financial and enterprise services provider MyMoneyMantra (MMM).
Visa joins Series F for Indonesia’s Go-Jek
Visa has confirmed its participation in an ongoing Series F round for Indonesia-based ride-hailing and online services platform Go-Jek that had raised about $1 billion as of February.
Korea's Orum Therapeutics secures $30m Series B
Orum Therapeutics, a Korean biotechnology developer targeting cancer and rare diseases, has secured a $30 million Series B round from a group including IMM Investment and InterVest.
VinaCapital acquires Singapore fintech player Smartly
Vietnam’s VinaCapital has acquired the operations of Singapore financial technology platform Smartly for an undisclosed sum.
Chinese B2B electronic components platforms raises Series A
Sequoia Capital China and Eastern Bell Venture Capital have led a RMB250 million ($36.3 million) Series A round for Lichuang Mall, a Chinese B2B online trading platform that specializes in electronic components.
Singapore’s Near gets $100m from Greater Pacific Capital
Near, a Singapore-based artificial intelligence (AI) services provider that supports enterprise analytics, has raised $100 million from UK private equity firm Greater Pacific Capital.
Deal focus: TheAsianparent plans baby business boom
Singapore mother-and-child online services provider theAsianparent is planning an expansion by tracking the fastest birth rates around the region. Fosun is backing the agenda
Gobi, AirAsia unit invest $11m in Malaysia's EasyParcel
Gobi Partners has joined Teleport, the cargo and logistics platform of AirAsia, to commit $10.6 million in Series B funding to Malaysia-based e-commerce logistics and parcel delivery service EasyParcel.
Singapore smart city supplier Igloohome gets $15m
Igloohome, a Singapore-based smart city supplier for enterprises in real estate and infrastructure, has raised a $15 million round co-led by Wavemaker Partners, Insignia Ventures Partners, and Seeds Capital.
Investors target China's lower-tier cities - AVCJ Forum
Private equity and venture capital firms are seeking investments that target China’s lower-tier cities, which continue to see rapid consumption growth despite the economic slowdown at national level.
Southeast Asia PE: Integration angst
Slow progress in the effort to improve Southeast Asia’s multilateral economic cooperation reveals deep rooted challenges for investors, including cultural and regulatory barriers
Bain Capital Credit invests $300m in D&J China
Bain Capital Credit has invested $300 million in D&J China, a Shanghai-based business and technology development park developer pursuing a domestic expansion.
Ping An invests in PE-backed Chinese online education start-up
Ping An Insurance has made a strategic investment in iTutorGroup, a Chinese online education platform that previously raised four rounds of funding, the most recent at a valuation of $1.6 billion.
PAG buys Australia's Craveable Brands from Archer
Australian quick service restaurant chains Oporto, Red Rooster and Chicken Treat have their third consecutive private equity owner after PAG Asia Capital bought the business from Archer Capital.
Fosun leads Series C for Singapore's theAsianparent
Fosun RZ Capital, the VC arm of Fosun, has led a Series C round of undisclosed size for Singapore-based theAsianparent, which claims to be Southeast Asia’s largest mother-and-child online platform.
Tiger, Sequoia lead $60m round for India's Moglix
Tiger Global Management and Sequoia Capital have led a $60 million funding round for India-based business-to-business (B2B) industrial goods marketplace Moglix.
Affinity seeks exit from Virgin Australia frequent flyer business
Affinity Equity Partners has begun a process to exit its 35% interest in the frequent flyer business of Virgin Australia.
India's Rivigo raises $65m from Warburg Pincus, SAIF
Warburg Pincus and SAIF Partners have led a $65 million Series E commitment to Indian technology-enabled logistics operator Rivigo.
Southeast Asia buyouts: Flexibility first
Southeast Asia has yet to deliver a consistent stream of large-cap buyout deals. Private equity investors must be creative, flexible and patient in trying to crack the market
GGV co-leads $150m investment in China's Geek+
GGV Capital has co-led a $150 million Series C investment in Chinese industrial robotics maker Geek+ alongside US hedge fund investor D1 Capital Partners.
Samsung Ventures makes first India investments
Samsung Ventures has made its first Indian investments, committing $8.5 million across four local start-ups.
Southeast Asia exits: Greener pastures
Southeast Asia’s internal growth and rising appeal among global investors in recent years have fed expectations that PE and VC exits will follow. The logic is sturdy but detailed projections are elusive